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[the_hanged_man]

Wow, those were some great responses (especially mdwlark)! As a K-12 teacher I've seen my share of dysfunctional workplaces but my experiences pale before some of the stories here.

[maggs]

Greetings All
Maggs here, the OP; 

I suspected, but never knew or wanted to know, the pervasiveness of toxicity in academia.
I still honeymoon BUT, but as I feared I am witnessing a meltdown around me.  Make no mistake; I fully understand STFU and keeping my head down.  Why is it that these really awful vendettas take place? Aren’t we all here to do the work? – For ourselves, for our students?  For the greater good?  Why are we picking at each other over the petty stuff – over procedure, for example?   I’m confused.  Don’t we weaken each other by this constant bickering?

I wish everyone a wonderful and prosperous 2010.  May this decade far exceed the last!!  M

[msparticularity]

Why is it that these really awful vendettas take place? Aren’t we all here to do the work? – For ourselves, for our students?  For the greater good?  Why are we picking at each other over the petty stuff – over procedure, for example?   I’m confused.  Don’t we weaken each other by this constant bickering?

Prior to my change-of-life career change, I had management and marketing experience with corporations and nonprofits, and also was a K-12 teacher for a few years. I experienced the kind of infighting and backbiting you are seeing in every one of these workplaces--and it was actually the worst in the nonprofits! Very disillusioning. I do agree, though, that academia actually tolerates a wider range of difficult personalities than many other fields because "success" for us in not all about sales and networking: brilliant but weird introverts can do fine. :)